Overheard

Can you imagine, being brought up by seven grown-ups who all hate work, and all they want to do is play games with you all day long, and tell you four-hour-long stories, and make kites. I was about seven when I said, `OK, enough of all this bollocks'. - Bjork, singer, on the perils of a hippy childhood, Arena.

This was a marketing decision: the American backers somewhat shamefacedly explained that the audience might think, seeing The Madness of George III, that they had missed out on The Madness of George and The Madness of George II. - Bennett on why he de-numbered his play The Madness of George III, for the screen, to The Madness of King George, ibid.

If, as a barrister, I had conducted all my cross-examinations in as restrained a fashion as Jeremy Paxman or John Humphrys I should soon have been out of briefs. - John Mortimer, ex-QC and writer, on John Birt's call to journalists to ease up when interviewing public figures, Guardian.

If you've got gags, hide them and hope your audience finds them. - Patrick Marber, comedian and now playwright, Guardian.

Are we selling Jesus? Absolutely. That's our product. - Dan Harrell, co-chief of a "Christian talent management firm" on the growth of Christian pop music, New York Times